Car-coupling



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

D. H. SHERMAN.

GAB. COUPLING,

No. 365,278. Patented June 21, 1887.

N. PETERSv Fhollrljhmgrapher, Washington, my C.

(No Model.) -2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

D. H. SHERMAN.

OAR COUPLING. I No. 365,278. Patented June 21, 1887.

(3y QM WM UNITED STATES DAVID H. SHERMAN, OF \VAUKEGAN, ILLINOIS.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 365,278, dated June 21,1887.

Application filed January 20, 1887. Serial No. 224,938. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, DAVID H. SHERMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at \Vauke 'an, in the county of Lake and State of Illinois,have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Oar-Couplings,which is fully set forth in the following specification, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is aplan viewofastrncture embodying my invention; Fig. 2, afront elevation of thesame; Fig. 3, a central longitudinal section taken on the line :vwofFig. 1; Fig. 4, a detail plan section taken on the line 7 3 of Fig. 2;Fig. 5, a detail View similar to Fig. 6, showing the manner of insertingthe link-guiding arm in place; Fi 6, a similar view showing said arm inplace; Fig. 7, a detail plan view of said arm detached; Fig. 8, a detailplan view of the socket-piece and coupling; Fig. 9, a side elevation ofthe outer end of the linkgniding arm, and Fig. 10 a detail view of theunder side of the inner end of said arm.

Like letters refer to like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

My invention relates to carcouplers, and has for its object to providemeans for guiding the coupling-link and means for raising and loweringthe coupling-pin; and to these ends my invention consists in certainnovel features. which I will now proceed to describe, and will thenparticularly point out in the claims.

In the drawings, A represents a portion of the car-body, to which thedraw-bar B is attached in any approved manner. The said draw-bar isprovided with a central recess, 1), to receive the coupling-link O. Thisrecess is of a proper width to admit the couplinglink, and is providedwith a rearward extension, I), of less width than the coupling-link, soas to prevent the same from passing too far back into the draw-bar.

D indicates a pivoted arm arranged within the recess in the draw-bar,and adapted to rest normally in a horizontal position in the top of thesaid recess, or in a suitable seat, 12 formed in the top of the same, ofsufficient size to re ceive the. same. This arm is curved laterally atits forward end, as shown, in order to permit the coupling-pin O to befreely inserted into and withdrawn from the draw-bar, which is providedwith the usual vertical aperture,

0, to receive the said pin. The pivot or axis of rotation of this arm islocated at the top of the recess in the draw-bar, and preferably at apoint in advance of the aperture 0, which receives the coupling-pin, theentire arm resting normally within the seat I, in the top of the recessin the draw-bar, where it is out of the way of the coupling-link, and itis protected from injury thereby. The rear end of the arm D, when inposition, is central within the draw-bar, and extends back into thenarrow port-ion b of the recess 1). Thearm D may be mounted in thedraw-bar in any suitable manner; but that which I prefer is that shownin the drawings, and which I have devised for the purpose. In thisconstruction the arm D is provided with a pin, d, having thereon alocking projection, J, said pin entering a corresponding socket in asleeve, E, which passes through a corresponding aperture, I)", in theside of the draw-bar near the top thereof. Thepin d is secured inthesoeket in the sleeve E by means of a pin or screw, 0, and isadditionally held by the engagement of its projection d in acorresponding notch, c, in the end of the sleeve.

F indicates the operating-rod of the arm D, said rod being connected tothe sleeve E by a universal joint consisting of a connectingpiece, F,pivoted to said rod by a pivot-pin, f, and to the sleeve by apivot-pin,f, arranged at right angles thereto. The rod F is bent to therear, as shown, and is provided with a 'bearing, f, secured to thecar-body, and preferably to the under side of the cross piece or sill.The bending of the rod to the rear is preferred for the reason that itleaves a large space between the cars when they are coupled, thuspermitting ready access between the same. The bearingf is inclined, sothat the axis of rotation of the rod F passes through the said bearingcentrally and is on a line with the universal joint connecting the saidrod with the arm D. A weighted handle or leverarm, F, arranged on therod inside of the bearingf", for the purpose hereinafter stated, servesnot only as a means for operating the rod and arm, but also for holdingsaid arm normally in its raised position. Of course a separate weight ora spring may be employed for this latter purpose; but I prefer theconstruction shownv and described.

In the rear of the aperture 0 there is formed in the bottom 'of therecess 12 in the draw-bar B a recess or aperture, G, the front wall ofwhich is beveled off rearward and downward, as shown at 9, said recess Gbeing of sufficient depth to permit the depression of the rear end ofthe coupling-link O in the manner indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3 ofthe drawings. In the present instance I have shown this recess as formedby an aperture passing entirely through the under wall of the draw-bar;but such a depth is of course not necessary. The

coupling-pin O is provided with a notch, c, I

in its front lower portion, and has pivoted to V its upper end a link,H, (shown as a double link in the present instance,) said link being inturn pivoted'to the forward end of an arm, I, the rear end of which ispivoted to the front of the car-body. The pivoted joint between the linkH and arm I is protected by means of a guard, consisting of a V-shapedpiece, H, mounted on the pivot-bolt, as shown, for the purposehereinafter described.

J indicates a shaft extending across the front of the car, and providedat a point underneath the arm I with a projection, J, having in thepresent instance the form of a crank or bend. At each end the shaft J isprovided with an arm or handle, j, formed preferably by bending theshaft at right angles, and a locking bolt, 9', is mounted, as shown, onthe front of the ear-body, near each side thereof, and is capable ofbeing projected out beyond the side of the car.

The operation is as follows: Owing to the conformation of the arm D andthe contracted size of the recess 1) and its rear portion, 1), it wouldbe impossible to place said arm in position within the draw-bar if theportion thereof which forms the pivot were of equal diameter with theaperture through which it passes. By my construction, however,'I amenabled to introduce the small pin d into the aperture Z) by turning thearm into the position shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, and may then holdthe same in the position shown in Fig. 6, while the sleeve E is appliedfrom the outside and secured in position, as shown in Fig. 4. It will beseen that the sleeve E, fitting snugly within the aperture 1), forms afirm bearing for the arm, while at the same time said arm may be readilyplaced in position. When it is desired to raise the outer end of thelink 0, as in the case where the draw-bars are of different heights, theguiding-arm D may be caused to bear against the rear or inner end of thelink, and will force said rear end downward into the recess G, therebyraising the front end in the manner shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3 ofthe drawings. The under side of the rear end of the arm D is flattenedfor this purpose, as shown in Fig. 10. This lifting of the link may bedone even when the link is in the extreme forward position shown in fulllines in Fig. 8, the beveled front wall, 9, of the recess G permittingthe rear end to descend even in this position.

The link is thus guided, through the medium of the rod F, from the sideof the car, thus obviating the necessity of going between the ears toguide the linka proceeding attended with great danger. The weighted armF holds the arm D in a normally-elevated position, as

ter would be torn out in case of the accidental tearing-away of thedraw-bar, or would have to be removed to permit the removal of thedraw-bar. The coupling-pin O is operated through the medium of the shaftJ, the projection J on which comes in contact with the arm I as saidshaft is rotated, and raising said arm also raises the pin through themedium of thelink H. The pin will descend of its own weight when theshaft returns to its normal position, which it does by reason of thesuperior weight of the projection or crank J. The pin may be held uppositively,when desiredas, for instance, when the ear is standing on asiding-by causing the bolts 9" to project in the rear of the arms 9' onthe ends of the shaft J, thereby preventing the rotation of the shaft.-The pin may also be held temporarily in a raised position by causing thenotch c to catch upon the upper edge of the aperature c in the positionshown in dotted lines in Fig. 3.

The coupling-pin may be operated independently of the shaft J,With whichit is in no way connected, or it may be operated entirely through themedium of said shaft from the side of the car without exposing theoperator to the dangers attendant upon a position between the cars. 7

The guard H is for the purpose of protecting the arms I from breakage.In case the draw-bars are compressed to such an extent thatthe ends ofthese arms,whichare attached to the car-body, and therefore do not movewith the drawbar's, meet, theseV-shaped pieces will deflect the meetingends of the arms I laterally, and will thus prevent the fracture whichwould follow if they met end on an were not deflected.

It is obvious that various modifications in the details of constructionand in the arrangement of the parts may be made without departing fromthe principle of my invention, and I therefore do not wish to beunderstood as limiting myself strictly to the precise detailsher'einbefore described, and shown inthe drawings.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters 7 w V V p r its forward end in front of thecoupling-pin aperture and extending rearward to bear upon the rear endof the link when depressed, and a rod connected to said arm andextending to the side of the car to operate the same, substantially asand for the purposes specified.

2. In a car-coupler, the combination, with the draw-bar, having therecess G in the rear of the coupling-pin, and the coupling-link, of alink-guiding arm arranged within the drawbar at the top thereof, pivotedat its forward end in front of the couplingpin aperture and extendingrearward to bear upon the rear end of the link when depressed, and a rodconnected to said arm and extending to the side of the car to operatethe same, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. In a car coupler, the combination, with the draw-bar B, havingaperture 6, of the arm D, having pin d, the sleeve E, fitting in theaperture If and having a socket to receive the pin d, which is securedtherein, and the operatingrod F, attached to said sleeve, sub stantiallyas and for the purposes specified.

4.. In a car-coupler, the combination, with the draw-bar B, havingaperture 0 and the arm D, having pin (I, with projection d, of thesleeve E, having a socket to receive said pin, which is secured therein,and a notch, c,to receive the projection d, and the operating-rod F,connected to said sleeve, substantially as and for thepurposesspecified.

5. In a car-coupler, the combination, with the draw-bar, thelink-guiding arm, and the sleeve to which it is secured, of theguidingrod connected to said sleeve by a universal joint, bent rearwardand extending through a suitable bearing on the front of the car-bod y,substantially as and for the purposes specified.

6. In a car-coupler, the combination, with the draw-bar and thelink-guiding arm,ofthe operating'rod connected to said arm, extendingthrough a bearing on the front of the carbody, and having the handlearranged on the inside of said bearing, substantially as and for thepurposes specified.

7. In a car-coupler, the combination, with the draw-bar and thecoupling-pin, of the arm I, pivoted to the car-body, the intermediatelink, H, pivoted to the said arm. and to the coupling-pin, and thecontinuous transverse shaft J, bent outward at its center to form thecrank or projection J, upon which the arm I rests loosely, substantiallyas and for the purposes specified.

S. In a car-coupler, the combination, with the draw-bar, thecoupling-pin, the arm Land link H, of the shaft J, provided withprojection J and arms j, and the locking-boltj, substantially as and forthe purposes specified.

9u In a car-coupler, the combination, with the draw-bar having aperturec, of the coup ling-pin O,having notch c, the arm I,pivoted to thecarbody, and the link H, connecting said arm and pin, substantially asand for the purposes specified.

10. In a car-coupler, the eombination,with

the drawbar, the coupling-pin, the arm I,piv-

DAVID H. SHERMAN.

\Vitnesses:

IRVINE MILLER, \V. O. CoR-LIEs.

